Microsoft touts "intelligent" bots at Build Conference

SAN FRANCISCO –Microsoft wants people to have more intelligent conversations with their computers. The giant software company is promoting new tools for software developers to build intelligent “bots,” or commercial programs that will work with Cortana, Microsoft’s voice-activated digital assistant, to perform tasks like booking a hotel room, ordering a meal or arranging a delivery. Microsoft’s efforts echo those of competitors like Amazon, with its Alexa digital assistant, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, who said he wants to build his own “Jarvis,” the artificial intelligence that aids Tony Stark in “Iron Man.” “We’re really excited about the new opportunities and new frontiers,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said at the company’s Build 2016 Developers Conference in San Francisco Wednesday. “We want all developers to infuse intelligence into their applications.” This is part…